1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a cover for covering a slide rail provided in a seat fore-and-aft adjusting device adapted for adjusting an automotive seat in the forward and backward directions.
2. Description of Prior Art
Reference is made to FIG. 9, which shows a rearward side of an automotive seat (1) which is provided with a pair of conventional slide rails (2) (2') for permitting the seat (1) to be adjusted in forward and backward directions. As can be viewed from FIG. 9, the left-side slide rail (2) comprises a generally U-shaped lower rail (2a) and a generally inverted U-shaped upper rail (2b), the former (2a) being slidably fitted in the latter (2b) in an embraced manner, (see FIG. 1), and the right-side slide rail (2') comprises a generally U-shaped upper rail (2'a) and an upstanding upper rail (2'b), the latter (2'b) being slidably engaged in the former (2'a) (see FIG. 2).
As shown, the left-side slide rail (2) has, fixed at its rearward end portion, a support leg member (3) of generally S-shaped configuration, whereas the right-side slide rail (2') also has, fixed at its rearward end portion, a support leg member (3') which extends vertically from the lower rail (2'a) and is formed with a securing flange portion (3'a).
Hitherto, in this sort of rail construction, a pair of separate cap members are fitted over the lower rail rearward edges and externally exposed portion of support leg member, respectively, with a view to improving an aesthetic appearance at the rear side of seat. This example can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2. Namely, as in FIG. 1, the rearward edge of lower rail (2a) having generally U-shaped cross-section is fit covered with a cap member (4) of similar shape, while a generally S shape of support leg member (3) is fit covered with another cap member (5) having a similar S-shaped configuration, thereby improving more aesthetically the rearward appearance of seat (1). Those two leg members (3)(3') are fixed on a floor of automobile by means of securing bolts.
However, those separate cap members (4, 4', 5, 5') have been found defective in that, firstly, because of the two-separate-piece nature, it is not easy to fit them over the associated elements or in other words it is impossbile to fit them all thereon at one time. and secondly, the more forwardly is moved the seat (1), the more increasingly are exposed the rearward portions of both lower rails (2a, 2'a) from the mating cap members (4, 4'), which results in deteriorating the foregoing cap covering effect on the silde rails and support leg members. In addition, such exposed rearward portions of lower rails (2a, 2'a) are easy to be stepped on by a foot of occupant sitting on a rear seat behind the seat (1), in which case, his or her foot gets soiled with a lubricant oil layer on that exposed portions of lower rails, or injured cut by the edges in the the upper and lower rails (2a, 2b, 2'a, 2'b).